The Female Knight of Doom - TFKOD 31: Obtaining the Crown

It was the wildest of all the tales Alice had heard about people and gods before.

She was unable to assess the characters in this tale; they all appeared to be insane. She was aware, however, that fanatics were never logical people.

After giving it some thought, she chose a crucial query to pose to her, “Who are you now? Olivia or the Great Mother?”

“I am Olivia, and I am also the Great Mother.” With a look that she had never seen before, the woman in front of her responded, “Over the past ten years, we have become one and cannot be separated. We will remain one until this body ages and passes away.”

In contrast to Olivia’s stunning appearance, her voice was deep and resonant.

The Great Mother’s voice, Alice realized, was hers.

The impact of confronting a god head-on made her body tremble uncontrollably, even though she was normally fearless. This is a normal human reaction to the sublime, something that has never been seen before, and is not a result of fear.

She, however, continued to strive for something, “Would you want to leave here?”

“I cannot leave.” Olivia continued, “Ever since the domain of the God of Light expanded to the entire continent, I have been unable to leave this temple. I used to have it all, but now my realm is just this temple beneath the ground. I’m stuck here and unable to get out.”

Although she spoke in the Great Mother’s tone, the woman claimed to be a hybrid of Olivia and the Great Mother.

In a hazy way, Alice thought maybe Olivia was gone.

But she persisted in asking, “You cannot leave, but what about Olivia? She’s free.”

“She was originally free,” the Great Mother replied. “But when she became my priestess, she voluntarily gave up that freedom—she didn’t have to drink that cup carrying my blood and spirit, but she chose to drink it herself.”

Alice thought there were a lot of things to argue against in this statement, but she could only keep quiet because it was clear that it was foolish to argue against the Great Mother in this situation.

“If only you could have come a little earlier,” said the woman, abruptly changing her tone and wearing a somewhat dejected expression. “Now it’s all too late, far too late.”

The voice on the other end had changed, and Alice could sense it.

Now it was most likely Olivia who was talking.

Even though her consciousness persisted inside this shell, she was able to occasionally express some of her own will because her control was far weaker than the Great Mother’s.

She removed the crown from her head at this point, as if she had some control over her body, “I heard you came for it.”

Alice gave a nod.

Yes, she went to considerable measures to gain entry to the Rachel mansion, even trying to kidnap the earl, all for this crown.

However, she feels that the issue of the crown has become less significant now that she is standing here in front of this strange priestess who has lost her freedom.

With admiration, Olivia held the crown in her hands, “My sister once requested this crown in a letter. In order to preserve it as a reminder of my previous existence, I chose not to return it. However, it appears that Sylvie is missing her sister even more now. She can use it to help her cope with the loss of her sister if you take it and give it to her. But don’t go above and beyond. Don’t tell her I’m still alive.”

Perhaps as a result of the Great Mother’s wishes, Olivia’s choice of pronouns conveys a subtly detached sense, but it is obvious that Olivia is the person in front of her.

Before giving it to Alice, she gives the crown in her hand a kiss.

Alice hastily extended both hands to grasp it.

Although she had seen images of this crown, she had never laid eyes on the actual one before. The base of the crown was made of gold, and fine gold threads were used to connect the various pearls and gems. Although it was very lovely and delicate, she was worried that it would be easily broken if she took it carelessly because the gold threads were soft.

She was overcome with disbelief as she held the beautiful object in her hands and realized that this small, delicate item would determine the rest of her life.

She held her breath and dared not move, fearing that her unsteady hands would shatter the object. When Olivia noticed how she was acting, she asked the maid to bring the box that was specifically made to hold the crown.

Alice sighed with relief when the object was in place, glanced up at Olivia, and assured her, “Are you sure you don’t want me to tell the duchess what happened here?”

Olivia gave a headshake, “My sister might declare war on the north if she knew I was still alive and start a conflict with Earl Rachel. Sylvie wouldn’t prevail. It would not be beneficial even if she were to win the war and take me away. I am now a part of the north and have a blood connection to it, so I have nowhere to go back to.”

Her voice sounded like the voices of two people overlapping, and as she finished speaking, her expression changed once more, returning to what it had been when Alice first entered.

She had been observing her facial expression and believed that her appearance might have prompted Olivia to become self-aware, but the Great Mother’s power overtook her once more after Olivia had completed her sentence.

It appeared that there was nothing wrong with treating the woman in front of her as the Great Mother’s body, even though she was still formally the Great Mother the Priestess.

In times of crisis, Alice remembered, Cecilion, the God of Doom, had urged her not to rebel.

Did He know she was going to be taken to see the Great Mother?

Right now, it appeared to be a chance for her to speak directly to the gods.

A dim thought occurred to her that this might teach her something about the gods. Cecilion seemed unable to tell her everything for a variety of reasons. In contrast, the Great Mother before her was unrestricted.

What should she ask, though?

When the Great Mother spoke to her once more, Alice was still perplexed, “When we learned you had arrived in Bowen, we all wanted to see you. I asked Claude to bring you here because you are the only person who has connected with Cecilion in hundreds of years, but Olivia wanted you to come so she could give you the crown to return to her sister. I see that you now believe in him, and you are responsible for the changes the world will undergo in the future.”

She felt uneasy with the Great Mother’s words.

“There have been cults that worshipped Cecilion before,” she responded. “They were unable to awaken him or alter anything in this world. Additionally, I’m just a regular mercenary, helpless and alone.”

The Great Mother gave a disapproving shake of her head, “Because the timing was off, the earlier cults failed. However, since its reign, the God of Light’s dominion has started to wane. The young buds of new life have broken through the firm foundation and are prepared to bloom new flowers that are distinct from it, even though everything in the world appears to still be governed by the laws set forth by the God of Light. Furthermore, there are other gods besides me who are waiting to see the God of Light fail from the shadows.”

“Are you talking about the God of Darkness, Ludnir?”

The Great Mother gave a nod, “Ludnir cannot be more powerful than the God of Light because he is the opposite of light—the dark. He used to berate me for being partial, giving away everything valuable to other people, and allowing his brother to win the world while keeping him hidden. However, I am now in danger of being destroyed, so it is pointless for him to whine. His only hope is that Cecilion will awaken and establish new guidelines for the world. However, neither Ludnir nor I have any control over whether the God of Darkness will still have a place in the new laws.”

Alice was reminded that the northlanders believed the Great Mother to be the mother of the gods when she spoke of them with familiarity.

This is most likely the case, but based on the Great Mother’s current circumstances, it appears that she has not benefited from being known as the mother of all gods. The Great Mother’s power has diminished since the God of Light has taken over as the dominant religion.

If Alice was right, she appeared to wish to use Cecilion’s power to put an end to the God of Light’s era.

But Cecillion had not yet woken, and everything depended on her, a believer.

But could she actually accomplish this?

The Great Mother appeared to have realized what she was thinking, “Originally, Cecilion’s sleep was dictated by the gods. The gods were envious because I gave him the best things. But his power won’t go away even if he’s sleeping. His power will make you unbeatable.”

“What did you… gave him?”

“Hope,” she said. “I offered him hope. The world created by the God of Light will be destroyed by Cecilion’s hope, so they fear him and do everything in their power to prevent his arrival. Nevertheless, they fail to realize that no one’s will can change the times. Even the gods have no influence over current trends. It won’t be long before the God of Light’s rule comes to an end.”

After completing her prophecy, the Great Mother signaled to Alice that the conversation was over.

The servant left the room after Alice bowed to her.

Still, she decided to ask one final question before departing, “You might be gone when Cecilion wakes up, too, right?”

“Yes, as an older god, I will probably be annihilated when the new world arrives.” The Great Mother responded with a calm demeanor, “But for gods, annihilation is also a form of freedom, and I will enter a new realm through it.”